Car-axle lubricator.



No. 773,557. PATENTED NOV. 1,1904. F. A. FLETCHER.

GAR AXLE LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK ALFRED FLETCHER, OF

)Patented November 1, 1904.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ARMSTRONG OILER COMPANY.

CAR-AXLE LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,557, dated November 1, 1904.

Application filed April 26, 1904. Serial No. 205,016.

To all whom it Huey concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIQK ALFRED FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamen and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Axle Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to axle or journal lubrication, and particularly to a device for holding lubricating-pads in contact with caraxles.

The object of the invention is to provide a pad or lubricant holder of such peculiar shape and construction that it may be expeditiously inserted into an axle-box, adjust itself thereto, and be readily and conveniently removed therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pad or lubricant holder adapted to fit and accommodate itself to car-axle boxes and be retained therein without attachment to the box and to arrange the holder-supports so that the pad will have an elastic or spring bearing continuously on the axle lengthwise the latter.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a holder constructed of spring metal, the spring rests or supports of the holder being so arranged as to be compressed in inserting the holder into an axle-box and the spring pad-bearings being arranged to partly encircle the axle at angles to the said spring-rests, so that the latter will have a vertical spring action on the axle, while the pad-bearings have a lateral spring action on the axle.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an ordinary axle-box, showing the application of the holder. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing in dotted lines compressed condition of the holder-rests.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The axle-box 1 is of the ordinary type and requires no alteration therein for applying the pad-holder. The axle 2 has the usual (N0 model.)

journal-bearing without any changes in location or arrangement. The holder comprises a rectangular frame composed, preferably, of spring metal and having top plates 3, joined together at each end by cross-plates 4, so as to leave a rectangular opening 5 between the plates. At each end of the plates 3 is a springrest 6, which is curved downwardly and inwardly in the shape of an arc of a circle and terminates in a free end about midway the length of the plates 3 under the latter, with an interval between the said free ends and a space between the rests and the plates 3. Semicircular spring-plates 7 are secured central of the end plates 4, and ears 8 project from the intersection of the plates 7 and 4. The plates 7 have apertures 9, and like apertures 10 are made in the ears 8 for securing a suitable lubricating-pad 11, and a portion or parts of the latter depend through the opening 5 into the lubricant without interfering with the spring-rests. The plates 7 form abearing for the pad and elastically hold the pad laterally against the axle. The ears fix the pad at the bottom, so that it cannot become displaced, and the spring-rests support the holder and give it an elastic vertical pressure, so that the pad has a double spring-bearing on the axle. It will be observed that the padcarrier plates are at right angles to the spring-rests and that the latter work lengthwise the holder, so the pad is not only held up to the axle effectively, but the pad is given an equal'or uniform bearing on the axle.

It will be seen that the spring-rests are capable of being compressed to occupy only about half the space as when extended, thereby permitting the holder to be inserted through a small door or axle-box opening, and to accommodate itself to boxes of various depths; yet the spring-rests are of such shape as to keep the pad in continuous contact with the axle, though the size and shape of the axlebox may vary or the pad become worn.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination in a lubricator-pad holder for axle-boxes, of a pair of top plates extendinglengthwise the axle, and havingare-shaped l tween the cross-plates and the spring-plates,

spring-rests forming the ends of the plates substantially as shown and described. IO and terminating in pairs central of the length In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand of and under the plates, the cross-plates hevin the presence of two witnesses. 5 ing their ends secured at the juncture of the FREDERICK ALFRED ELETCI IER.

' top plates and the said rests, semicircular \Vitnesses: v

spring-plates secured to the crossplates, and JOHN V. NELSON, a pair of padholding ears secured to and be- CHARLES LEE. 

